The Rundown
New York City’s Public Theater and The Bushwick Starr have joined forces for a remarkable theater experience showcasing the abundant talents of disabled actors Ryan J. Haddad and Alejandra Ospina and Deaf actor Dickie Hearts. Make no mistake, however. In the triumphant Dark Disabled Stories, none of them are to be pitied or victimized.
The trio shares humorous and poignant vignettes that underline New York City’s punishing inaccessibility, the hotness and heartbreak of dating and sex, and the sometimes-awkward interactions with strangers whose personal agendas often overshadow the needs of a particular situation.
Haddad’s previous solo shows include Hi, Are You Single? and Falling for Make Believe. His artistic vision is further amplified through integrated access, which includes ASL performance, captioning, audio description, and relaxed performance conventions at every performance.
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No Tea, No Shade
Haddad is no stranger to acting. In a recent interview with American Theater magazine, he said, “I think, as a kid, whether it was from ego, or stubbornness, or pompousness or whatever, I was like, ‘I’m a star, I’m a star, I’m gonna be a star.’” The Ohio native made his mark on the New York stage several years ago. Since then, he has appeared in theaters nationwide and on TV, including The Politician and FX’s upcoming limited series Retreat.
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The openly gay actor is indeed a star, proof of which can be found in this honest and audacious autobiographical piece. Joining him on this journey is Hearts, who also plays “Ryan” and communicates through American Sign Language (ASL). The dual “Ryans” are finely tuned to one another (Andrew Morrill is the Director of Artistic Sign Language) and create electric stage chemistry. Ospina completes the cast, serving as her own storyteller in a monologue that includes broken elevators, being labeled as a “liability,” and getting stuck underground in New York City’s labyrinth subway system. With a clear, calm, and soothing voice, Ospina also describes what is happening onstage, adding another layer of artistic expression and accessibility.
Haddad is a master storyteller with the similar wry, dry style of David Sedaris. In a beguiling manner, he explains his approach to the audience: “I try to make disability funny so that non-disabled people can understand it and open themselves to it and realize that it’s not so scary, so dark. And make it more accessible for them.” Seconds later, he delivers the profound zinger, “but… not everything is accessible to us, so why should we try to make our experiences accessible to you?” Haddad’s charm gently nudges when needed, avoiding sentimentality. Consequently, we lean in wanting more — and the cast delivers.
Let’s Have a Moment
Initially, Haddad envisioned the work as a solo piece but wisely added Ospina and Hearts to the mix later in the process. Together, they create several “stop you in your tracks” moments highlighting the individual experiences of people with disabilities.
Design collective dots add broad strokes of queer sensibility to their set, described humorously as “Benjamin Moore’s Island Sunset pink.” Musical theater fans will surely appreciate the opening bars of Stephen Sondheim’s “Another Hundred People” from Company, repeated between scene changes. A vintage public service announcement by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz brings additional gay iconography to the piece.
The Last Word
In recent years, theater companies have touted a mission of inclusivity. Much of it looks great on paper but falls short of execution. Directors Fein and Morrill, Haddad, his cast, and the production teams at The Public Theater and The Bushwick Starr deserve high praise for creating a compelling theater piece that genuinely and successfully integrates access for all. While much can and will be written about Dark Disabled Stories, it is instead a piece that should—and must — be experienced in person.
Dark Disabled Stories plays Off-Broadway at The Public Theater through April 2, 2023.
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